Rushmore State News

There were less than 10 deaths with COVID-19 listed as a contributing cause reported in South Dakota in the week ending January 1, making up less than 43.5 percent of total deaths by all causes in South Dakota, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending January 1, there were 23 deaths in the state. Less than 43.5 percent of deaths were caused by heart disease, less than 43.5 percent were from cancer and less than 43.5 percent were from COVID-19.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Cause of Death	% of Total Deaths
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 43.5
Alzheimer's disease	< 10	< 43.5
Cerebrovascular diseases	< 10	< 43.5
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	< 10	< 43.5
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	< 10	< 43.5
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	< 10	< 43.5
Heart disease	< 10	< 43.5
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	0	0
Diabetes mellitus	0	0
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	0	0